Problem? No problemo, we're told by our mayor. Senor Nelson says it's the responsibility of the federales to enforce the border.
But as I pointed out at the time of the Navarette bank robbery, immigration is an issue for all of us.
I'm still waiting for some enterprising reporter to ask the bank he robbed how he could've been "a regular customer" when he was not a citizen. Apparently any nine digits will do for a social security number. Just don't tell the terrorists.
In the aftermath of the robbery attempt, Navarette's brother attempted to secure the liquor license for the troubled restaurant. By chance, Alderman Vitale spotted the application, it was stalled in committee, and eventually the restaurant was evicted, ending the matter as far as the city was concerned.
Meanwhile, when the Waukesha Freeman asked the feds if they were actually going to enforce the law, the reaction was, why bother trying?
The answer why all of us should try is that the goal should be to make coming to the United States as humanely difficult, even inhospitable, as possible. We can only discourage further attempts if the previous attempts at illegal immigration should prove unfruitful, even if the border crossing is successful. If there were no work and no opportunities for illegal aliens in this country, we would not need to build a wall along our Southern border.
And yet, we have seen how difficult it is to even have the most simple barriers put into place. Originally, Alderman Vitale proposed a citizenship check on all requestors of a license or permit. Eventually his proposal was watered down to all requestors of a license or permit must affirm that they are citizens. This was still too much for the sensitive souls on our city council. They watered down the proposal further by merely putting in the city ordinances that applicants for all city permits and licenses must be legal residents of the United States.
Despite the new watering restrictions, Tuesday night is a good night for watering down good legislation. The final version passed 11-1. Only Alderman Vitale voted against the proposal, so far removed as it was from his original idea.
Perhaps those more sensitive souls, or those more inclined to let someone else enforce the immigration laws, should read this report on a pork processing plant by Bob Herbert of the New York Times,
Workers are cut by the flashing, slashing knives that slice the meat from the bones. They are hurt sliding and falling on floors and stairs that are slick with blood, guts and a variety of fluids. They suffer repetitive motion injuries.So by all means, let's not discourage illegal immigrants to come. After all, they're just here to do the jobs Americans won't.
The processing line on the kill floor moves hogs past the workers at the dizzying rate of one every three or four seconds.
Union representation would make a big difference for Smithfield workers. The United Food and Commercial Workers Union has been trying to organize the plant since the mid-1990’s. Smithfield has responded with tactics that have ranged from the sleazy to the reprehensible.
After an exhaustive investigation, a judge found that the company had threatened to shut down the entire plant if the workers dared to organize, and had warned Latino workers that immigration authorities would be alerted if they voted for a union.
Sometimes the road to slavery is born of misplaced compassion.
